Sag Man Faces Criminal Charges From June Crash

The Sag Harbor man charged in June with drunken driving after his pickup truck collided with a car on Route 114, sending its occupants, a mother and son, to the hospital, was re-arraigned in criminal court in East Islip yesterday.

William Hurley, 60, now faces three felony charges, two of vehicular assault and one of recklessly causing injury. The third charge is the most serious; it could bring mandatory jail time upon conviction. The grand jury that indicted him added two misdemeanor assault charges as well. East Hampton Town police said Mr. Hurley was intoxicated at the time of the collision.

The prosecutor, Elizabeth Miller, an assistant county district attorney, is part of a new team dealing with serious vehicular crimes, including cases of drunken driving stemming from accidents involving serious injury. Thadeus Krimendahl, 6, suffered a fractured skull in the crash.

“The defendant was driving northbound on 114,” Ms. Miller told the judge, Fernando Camacho. “He was driving erratically.” He had swerved over the double yellow lines several times, she said, and the last time, his truck collided with Elizabeth Krimendahl’s southbound BMW.

“The mother suffered a broken ankle,” the prosecutor told the court. “The 6-year-old boy suffered a fractured skull. The skull was indented two centimeters into his brain.” She indicated that the boy was still suffering from the head injuries.

Ms. Miller asked Judge Camacho to raise Mr. Hurley’s bail from the $10,000 that was posted after his original arraignment in East Hampton Justice Court, to $25,000, noting that “he does face a minimum of two years in prison if convicted.”

The defense attorney, Edward Burke Jr., responded. “He is as local as it gets,” said Mr. Burke. “He has owned his own business since 1994.” Mr. Hurley is the owner of the Peconic Beverage company.

“There are no priors,” Mr. Burke told the judge. “His wife is here. They have three children together.”

Judge Camacho agreed with Mr. Burke, and held the bail at $10,000.

Mr. Hurley, wearing a blue blazer and a red tie, appeared disconsolate as he left the court.

Outside the courtroom, Mr. Burke huddled with the two. It was a somber, prolonged meeting.

“He just opened up to me,” Mr. Burke said afterward. “There is not a day that goes by that he doesn’t think about this young man and his mother.” The court will reconvene on Oct. 3.

About the Author

T.E. McMorrow began freelancing for The Star in 2009, before coming on staff, full time, at the end of 2011. He is a member of the Drama Desk in New York. His book, “Nutcracker in Harlem,” illustrated by James Ransome, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2016 by HarperCollins children’s division.